Online Speaking Tip #1

We all know that eye contact is essential in speaking to an offline audience, so now we have to translate this skill into our online speaking. The question is “How?”

The answer is-

“First place your camera at eye-level and then look into the camera!”

There are two reasons why placing your camera at eye-level camera works best…

1.Talking eye-to-eye is a way of making your audience comfortable with listening to you.

The level of the camera compared to your eyes is one component of online posture and body language.

If your camera is lower than your eyes it will appear as if you are talking down to your audience. On the other hand, if it is set too high it will appear as if you lack confidence because you are looking up to your audience when you talk.

There may be times when you want to play with those effects…but for business communication the best strategy is to talk eye-to-eye with people as a way of expressing social respect for your audience and confidence in your message.

2.The level of your camera changes how attractive you look.

Your face will appear at its most flattering when the camera is at eye-level.

If you put your camera too low it will make your face look wider and emphasise the age of your face.

So if you want to look your most attractive, then adjust your camera to look at your audience eye-to-eye.

Now look into the camera!

The most common mistake that online speakers make is to look at their screen when they speak. Although this allows you to see yourself and your audience, it takes your eyes away from the camera. This translates to a loss of eye contact.

The most important thing for you to do in order to have ‘online eye contact’ is to look directly into the camera when you speak. Then your audience will feel like you are present with them and looking into their eyes. Remember, in online communications the camera is the eyes of your audience. What the camera sees is what your audience sees!

So to appear more professional, confident, and attractive in your online communication…

Place your camera at eye-level and look directly into it because the camera is your audience’s ‘eyes’.